My kids are grown now and I no longer go out to trick or treat. I kind of miss that. I was always the dad with the best flashlights.

I don't think guns and costumes are a good idea. Maybe if you're a cowboy or an MIB agent, but other than that, not so much.

I have seen several teens and tweens come to my door dressed as terrorists with Airsoft AKs or Uzis. I don't think it's a good idea.--Be careful out there. Carry a good flashlight. Keep your carry concealed.

"The French Connection is the 1971 crime drama starring Gene Hackman as James "Popeye" Doyle, a relentless NYPD detective who is determined to take down the infamous drug trafficking ring. The film was directed by William Friedkin and was based on the actual cases investigated by Detective Eddie Egan, who co-stars in the film as another character. Hackman received an Academy Award for his portrayal of Doyle and the film is best remembered for its famous car chase with an elevated train."

I love this classic and own it on DVD. I have to drag it out every now and again.

It's been over 2 months at this point. This is the longest gap I can remember in recent years.

The main reason is that while my recovery from back surgery is going very well, I cannot stand for anywhere near an hour.

If I go to Clark Brothers, on a weekday, by myself, right when they open, I will be able to shoot my new AR15 while sitting on a bench. I can get some decent shooting in and have it only take 30 minutes.

This really isn't a post about guns it's about the shooters health. I have been offline so much of late because I have been recovering from back surgery. To be perfectly honest, going in I didn't think it was going to be this big a deal. But as my friend Breda put it, "I lived."

Lumbar Fusion of L4, L5 and S1

Hopefully this will allow me to take to the field again for some deer hunting before the season is over.

I wonder how many days this will delay my ATF SBR forms for my Suppressed Glock 21 Roni rig?

The last shutdown was during the Clinton administration and lasted 21 days!

The setup pictured on the right is basically the way I plan to configure my Roni carbine once I get the paperwork back! I think my suppressor will probably stick out a few inches farther. I already have the EOTech for this rig waiting in the box in the safe.

This rig will be reliable and quiet. It should be a lot of fun to shoot.

--I have to admit that by the time I am finished configuring it, I will have spent a lot of money on this rig. That will make a good future post.

It takes the best concepts from the long standing AR15 and eliminates the issues that always bugged me.

The most notable design change is that the stock no longer contains the spring tube allowing it to have many more configuration options like folding stocks and pistol grip configurations.

The second major design change is the location of the charging handle. The new location is way easier to work and is nicely ambidextrous. In fact all the controls are ambidextrous, also including the safety and mag release.